Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Erick Aybar watched everything Rafael Furcal did and wanted to play shortstop just the way Furcal did.

Erick is the younger brother of Braves and Rays infielder, Willy Aybar, who signed with the Dodgers two years before Erick turned pro. Willy received a $1.4 million contract.

In 2003, Erick led led all minor league shortstops in hitting. And he was the best defender at his position in the Midwest League.

Before the 2004 season, Baseball America ranked Aybar as the 8th-best prospect in the Angels organization. Before 2005 spring training, the magazine moved Erick all the way up to 3rd-best in the Anaheim system. And that is exactly where Baseball America put Aybar in the springs of both 2006 and 2007—#3 prospect. That's right, he was rated as third best prospect in the Angels' organization for three years in a row.

Aybar is fun to watch. The excitement and love he has for playing this game transfers to his teammates and the fans.

On November 29, 2008, during a Dominican winter league game, Aybar touched off a bench-clearing brawl by charging the mound with a bat. Then, playing against the same Dominican winter league opponent three days later, he hit for the cycle and scored the winning run in the 18th inning of a game that ended at 2:51 a.m.

The first incident got most of the attention. The league and an attorney contacted by some fans investigated whether the actions of Aybar and Licey teammates Ronnie Belliard and Timo Perez injured spectators during a melee that started when Aybar was hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth inning of Licey's game with the Gigantes in San Francisco de Macoris.

Aybar answered by charging pitcher Julio de Paula with his bat, and the fans responded by pelting players with expletives as well as cups, bottles and a huge plastic trash can. Video of the incident is of poor quality, but it shows several players who cannot be readily identified repeatedly throwing things into the stands.

Umpires ended the game at that point, awarding Licey the victory.

Aybar has earned a reputation as a slick-fielding shortstop who hits home runs when they are least expected.

Aybar has the name of his son, Eirein, tattooed in cursive on his right wrist. On his left wrist is that of his daughter, Nhaieri. Erick strives to be around his children as much as possible. This way, when he's on the road, he symbolically carries them with him.

September 18, 2013: Erick grew up in Bani, a small town located along the coast in the southern portion of the Dominican Republic. His neighborhood, awfully close to the river, was the most affordable to live in. In one tiny house, with aluminum panels as a roof and cheap concrete slabs on the side, crammed Aybar, his three brothers, his three sisters, and his parents, sleeping two per bed. Two or three times a year, it would rain hard, and the river would overflow, and all of the furniture would get soaked. And that tiny house would float about 100 feet, usually landing on the edge of the river with all the others.

Those were the nights Aybar would sleep at the local school, and wait for the water level to even out again, and dry up all his personal belongings, and push his house back in place until the next rainstorm. Now completing his eighth season as the Angels' shortstop, Aybar never loses sight of where he comes from.

"It makes me feel proud," he said in Spanish. "To go from nothing to everything, to get your family out of something like that and to help others in the Dominican, it's a big honor. I give any little bit I can over there. I go by there a lot when I go back, to this day. I take my car through there. The memories come back very quickly. It's as if I was there again. It makes me feel strong, because I came out of there. I worked hard. If I hadn't worked hard, I would've still been there."

And he had a strong-willed mother. Her name was Francia. She stayed home while Aybar's father worked all day, perpetually peeling pigeon peas into a bucket for mere pennies, and somehow raised seven kids with little money and a bad environment.

When Aybar signed his first professional contract in 2002 for $100,000, he gave it all to her. When he signed an extension with the Angels in April 2012—a four-year, $35 million deal that delayed his free agency until 2016—his first purchase was a Ford Explorer for his mother.

"She was always there, in good and bad times, always gave you your support," Aybar said. "When you're a kid, we'd fight all the time in school and stuff. She always disciplined us. That's a good thing. If she wouldn't have done that, I wouldn't be here." (Gonzalez - mlb.com - 9/18/13)

September 18, 2013: Aybar's older brother, Willy, was the star growing up. Willy, 10 months his senior, hasn't been in the Majors since the last of a three-year stint with the Rays in 2010, playing briefly in independent ball in '11 and in the Mexican League in '12 before spending '13 back home. But back then, it was Willy who cast a dark shadow over Erick. He was bigger, faster, stronger, and everyone in their little town knew it would be Willy that would take them out of that little house by the river one day.

In 2000, he did. At 17, six months before Erick would sign, Willy was inked to a $1.4 million contract by the Dodgers and the first thing he did was buy his mom a house in the central part of Bani, where cops patrol 24 hours a day and only the wealthiest reside. At last, the family could breathe easy. But Erick didn't see it that way.

"My brother is my brother," he recalled thinking. "That's his money. I'm going to fight and work hard to make my own living."

The kids would laugh at that thought. He was too short, way too skinny, and Willy was the star.

"Now I see them and I laugh," Aybar said, a big smile across his face. "They're my friends. They helped me. They helped me get here. They're all over there in the Dominican—and the small skinny kid is still here, playing baseball." (Gonzalez - mlb.com - 9/18/13)

Aybar has a wife, Nhachari Aybar.

May 2014: Aybar wears No. 2 because of Derek Jeter. For the last seven years, Aybar has proudly worn the Yankees captain's number.

"He was the guy who motivated me, always," the Angels' switch-hitting shortstop said of Jeter.

"His style of play, the kind of person he is. He's a good person," Aybar added. "You never see him upset. He's the ultimate professional. And that's what people admire, when you're a professional and you're a good person and get along with other players."

Aybar has replaced his early mentor, Vladimir Guerrero, as the shy Angel. Brilliant with the glove and a versatile weapon offensively, the 30-year-old athlete from the land of shortstops—the Dominican Republic—is by most accounts enjoying his finest of nine seasons. Ask Aybar if he agrees, and this is what you get: a shrug.

"I don't know," Aybar said. "Maybe. I'm doing OK."

Pujols is not as shy about expressing his view. "To me," King Albert said, "Erick's a great player, one of the best shortstops in the game."

Pujols, assuming Guerrero's old role as Aybar's confidante and compadre, looks to the little guy at the locker to his immediate right and sees one of the game's most underrated players. "He doesn't get the credit he deserves," Pujols said. "I've known Erick a long time, and he's always had the skills. He can do a lot of things; he's fun to watch.

"I think he's more mature as a player. You're supposed to mature as you get older. You've got to keep learning, understanding what the pitchers are trying to do to you. He's always been smart, very smart. He's learned from mistakes and is more mature in the little areas of the game." (Spencer - mlb.com - 6/23/14)

Aybar is as old school in his ways and attitudes as Trout, the irrepressible one. His positive qualities include his defense, baserunning and clutch hitting,

"I'm an aggressive player," Aybar said. "I like to hit, but I will be patient and take a walk. My job is to get on base, score runs, and drive in some when I get the chance."

"Pujols helped me get better," Aybar said. "He's shown me a lot of things." Pujols appreciates the gesture, but he waves off any kudos.

Pujols said, "He's a good listener. He doesn't turn his back on you and think he's got everything figured out. I'm just doing my job, what other people did for me when I was young [with the Cardinals]. I'm telling him to play the game the right way. I had great teammates in my career, and now it's my turn to help my teammates." (Spencer - mlb.com - 6/23/14)

November 12, 2015: After being traded to the Braves, Aybar was asked about his favorite memory with the Angels. "Everything," Aybar said. "That is where I grew."

The Angels signed Aybar out of the Dominican Republic in 2002, and not long after that they saw him evolve into a fixture at shortstop and one of their toughest, most respected clubhouse leaders. He won a Gold Glove in 2011 and made the All-Star team in 2014. But he is also a free agent after the 2016 season, and the Angels needed to find a long-term solution at shortstop.

"One day you're here, the next day you have no idea where you're going," Erick said, in Spanish, during a phone conversation. "That's how it is. Every team is always looking to better itself."

Aybar previously delayed his free agency and signed a team-friendly four-year, $35 million deal in April 2012. But he had no interest in taking another hometown discount before what could very well be his last chance to cash in on free agency. So Aybar prepared for the 2016 season to be his last with the Angels. The fact he was moved before then "shocked me," Aybar said. He leaves with positive memories.

"I was a kid when I got there," Aybar said. "It's a blessing from God to be there for so many years, coming up through their Minor League system, getting so much support. It's a blessing. I'm going to miss the guys there. I'm going to miss [Mike] Trout, [Kole] Calhoun, Albert [Pujols]. Albert, for me, was huge. He was like a father figure, always there with me, in good and bad times, along with Trout and Calhoun. [Jered] Weaver—we were together for such a long time, and I wish him all the best, too."

Aybar would typically be back in his native Dominican Republic, but his wife is due to give birth to the couple's third child, a girl. Soon after that, Aybar will start getting ready for a far different Major League season. After 10 years with an Angels team that was perennially in win-now mode, Aybar, one of the game's fiercest competitors, will be on a rebuilding team that is already looking beyond 2016.

"That's fine," Aybar said. "The Angels were always right there, trying to win. But now I'm just going to focus on Atlanta, give them 100 percent of what I have and try to win as much as we can." (A Gonzalez - MLB.com - November 12, 2015)

Erick experienced a brief scare when he was transported to a Pittsburgh medical facility to have a chicken bone removed from his throat. But he fortunately returned a couple of hours later fully capable of discussing a story that simply adds to the many oddities the Braves have experienced this season.

Medical personnel sedated Aybar before attempting to remove the bone. But it was quickly realized that the bone had already dislodged itself. "The poor guy had to be scared to death," said Snitker, who became the Braves' interim manager this week. "He looked OK when he left, but he wasn't speaking real well."

After arriving at PNC Park for that night's game, Aybar began coughing and feeling some discomfort in his throat. He informed the Braves' medical staff and was immediately transported to a nearby medical facility. (Bowman - MLB.com - 5/19/16)

TRANSACTIONS

2002: Aybar signed was signed by Angels scouts Leo Perez, Clay Daniel, and Donny Rowland for a bonus of $100,000.

February 18, 2010: Aybar and the Angels avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $2.05 million contract for 2010.

January 18, 2011: Erick and the Angels agreed on a $3 million contract for 2011, avoiding arbitration.

January 17, 2012: Aybar and the Angels again avoided salary arbitration, agreeing on a one-year contract for $5.075 million.

April 18, 2012: Erick and the Angels agreed on a four-year, $35 million contract extension.

November 12, 2015: The Braves sent SS Andrelton Simmons and C Jose Briceno to the Angels; the Braves received Aybar, LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Christopher Ellis, and cash.

February 23, 2018: Erick signed a Minor League contract with the Twins.

Batting

The switch-hitting Aybar makes consistently good hard contact with quick wrists, and can beat out an infield hit. He also can hit a ball out of the park occasionally.

Aybar centers the ball on the bat better as a lefthanded hitter. He is more comfortable hitting from that left side. But he is a capable righthanded hitter.

Erick is learning to take advantage of his speed, improving his bunting technique. He has become a very good leadoff man. He is the kind of player that makes things happen while also setting the table for the rest of the lineup. Now, he just needs to improve his willingness to work a pitcher deep in the count, taking a few more walks to get on base more often.

He has developed a little bit of power. He can turn around a mistake. He doesn't have enough power to be a free swinger. He tends toward being too pull-happy at times.

At least he doesn't strike out very much, not chasing as many pitches out of the strike zone as he used to. But he still needs to get a better grip on his aggressive manner at the plate. Angels minor league coordinator Ty Van Burkleo helped Erick shorten his swing starting in 2005. Now he sprays line drives around the ballpark.

Aybar loves to go after the fastball. He is a confident, efficient hitter with decent bat speed.

Bunting is one of Aybar's strengths.

As of the start of the 2018 season, Aybar's career Major League stats were: .271 batting average, 58 home runs with 473 RBIs in 5,175 at-bats.

Fielding

Aybar has quick actions at shortstop. He has a very strong, accurate arm that enables him to go deep into the hole and steal a hit from a batter.

It might be Aybar's ability to consistently make the routine play that has signaled his arrival among the game's elite. That was something he occasionally struggled with during his first three years in the majors because of lapses in concentration.

"He's making those plays now," Angels G.M. Tony Reagins said late in the 2009 season. "When a ground ball is hit in the six hole, it's going to be caught. I think that's the difference."

In the spring of 2007, the Angels worked Erick at second base and in the outfield to increase his versatility, and thus, his value.

And during the season, Aybar's defensive range, arm and toughness were drawing raves.

Erick has very good, soft hands. And he has good instincts. He has a flashy flair with good actions that make him a natural shortstop. He makes some spectacular plays.

His quick feet aid his excellent range.

“He’s the perfect combination of fundamentals and flashiness,” Rancho Cucamonga manager Bobby Meacham said way back in 2004. And he is still that way to this day, making impossible plays possible and ranging deep to run down pop flies.

Erick turns the double play well at shortstop.

Aybar plays the game with a lot of excitement. But he has to stay within himself and not rush, trying to make an off-balance throw that he doesn't have to make. Many of his errors come when he rushes a throw.

"In Erick you see the talent and the work ethic," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "This is a guy who works as hard as anybody I've been around. You see the progress he's made at shortstop. This guy accepts a challenge. He's not afraid of it."

Aybar's primary tools are his legs and his powerful right arm. His quickness and hands enable him to handle anything hit his way, and his gun from the hole is one of the game's best.

In 2011, shortstop Aybar was awarded his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Running

Aybar is blessed with uncommon speed and quickness. Erick is very fast, but he is not a real good baserunner, lacking technique. But he is working on it. His speed enables him to steal a lot of bases.

In 2005, playing for the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League, Erick stole 49 bases . . . but was caught 23 times.

He is daring on the bases, but plays out of control sometimes.

Since 2010, Erick has learned how to steal bases without getting caught very often.

Career Injury Report

July 2-August 6, 2007: Aybar went on the D.L. after injurying his right hand and had the hamate bone removed.

August 20, 2007: Erick went back on the D.L. with a strained left hamstring.

May 20-June 17, 2008: Aybar dislocated his right pinkie finger while diving to stop a ground ball up the middle, and he went on the D.L. Erick's finger got stuck on the artificial turf, causing it to bend under his hand.